Everything On The Intel CPU With Radeon Graphics! Rev. 2.0

Intel just dropped a bombshell with the announcement that they will be introducing the 8th Gen Intel CPU with Radeon graphics! This article will cover everything we can find on the upcoming 8th Gen Intel CPU with Radeon graphics, and will be updated as and when we get new information.

Updated @ 2017-11-09 : Added new information on the Chip Design, Power Saving and Performance aspects of the 8th Gen Intel CPU with Radeon graphics.

Originally posted @ 2017-11-07

The New Intel CPU With Radeon Graphics

The combination of an Intel CPU with Radeon graphics has long been mooted as a great way to tackle NVIDIA’s dominance of the mobile PC gaming market. Now it has finally become a reality. Here is a summary of what we know so far:

Chip Design

This is a multi-chip module (MCM) that combines an 8th Generation Intel Core-H mobile processor, with a customised Radeon GPU and HBM2 memory.

It is a mobile solution designed to deliver better gaming performance in thin and light laptops, or even smaller mobile devices (tablets?).

This will be the first product in the world to feature both HBM2 memory, and the Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB).

As the video below shows, Intel is using the EMIB interconnect for high-bandwidth data transfers between the Radeon GPU and the HBM2 memory.

The distance between the CPU and the GPU is necessary to improve thermal dissipation.

Due to the distance between the CPU and GPU, they cannot possibly use EMIB, which can only be used for chips in close proximity. They are most likely using a regular PCI Express interconnect.

Space Saving

The EMIB interconnect is not only fast, it is embedded within the substrate, helping to further reduce the thickness of the package.

The use of stacked HBM2 memory, instead of separate GDDR5 memory chips, saves a lot of space and greatly reduces power consumption.

By combining the CPU, GPU and HBM2 memory on a multi-chip module, Intel claims it will save 1,900 mm² of board space.

Power Saving

This multi-chip module has “a unique power sharing framework” between the Intel CPU and the AMD Radeon GPU.

The power sharing framework is a combination of the EMIB interconnect, as well as special drivers and interfaces to the GPU.

The ratio of power shared between the CPU and GPU can be dynamically adjusted according to workload and usage models.

The power sharing framework will also help to manage temperature, power delivery and performance states in real time.

Intel HD Graphics will be used for less strenuous graphics functions, including video acceleration. This allows the Radeon GPU and HBM2 memory to be powered down to save power.

Performance

The Intel Core-H CPU used will be the 35W or 45W Kaby Lake Refresh processor, with the HD Graphics core intact.

Neither AMD nor Intel mentioned what Radeon GPU will be used, but their press releases emphasised that this solution is targeted at “enthusiasts” who want to play “AAA titles“.

This means it is most likely an AMD Vega GPU with more than 10 Compute Units, delivering better performance than the AMD Vega core in the new AMD Ryzen Mobile APUs.